Central African Republic: Steven Arrived Here with a High Fever and a Persistent Cough, Struggling to Breathe

At just ten years of age, Steven is not only malnourished but suffers from tuberculosis and HIV. He arrived here with a high fever and a persistent cough, struggling to breathe.

‘Because of his illness and widespread beliefs about it, the teachers stopped him from coming to school,’ his grandmother, who came with him to our Paedatric Centre, explains to us. ‘But he likes studying.’

His parents, during the fighting between armed groups in 2013, lost all of their son’s documents, including medical ones. This is why the public hospitals stopped his treatment for tuberculosis, with serious consequences for his health.

His grandmother has brought him equipment to study with. ‘This way, as soon as he gets better, he can get back to his books,’ she told us. Get better soon, Steven.